Parts.
I acquired the following parts:
• One N20 6VDC 30RPM gear motor.
• One twin AAA battery case with switch.
• Two AAA batteries.
• Four 12MM diameter by 2.5MM thick neodymium magnets.
• One 11mm diameter "nylon solid plastic bearing balls G1 precision".
• One 200CM by 120CM by 1.5CM thick marble slab (actually, I "borrowed" my wife's marble cheese board but don't tell her!).
I 3D printed the following parts at .15mm layer height and 20% infill in PLA unless noted otherwise:
• One "Arm.stl", .15mm layer height, 100% infill, Tough PLA.
• One "Axle.stl".
• One "Base.stl".
• One "Funnel.stl".
• One "Wheel.stl", .15mm layer height, 100% infill, Tough PLA.
The model also uses threaded assembly thus an M8 by 1.25 tap and die will assist with thread cleaning if necessary.
Assembly.
To assemble the model, I performed the following steps:
• Soldered the battery pack wires to the gear motor such that with power applied the gear motor shaft rotated clockwise.
• Pressed the gear motor into the motor mount in "Base.stl".
• Pressed "Wheel.stl" onto the motor shaft.
• Pressed "Funnel.stl" onto the base assembly making certain the slots in the funnel aligned with the slots in the base.
• Pressed two magnets into the magnet pocket in the base such that the magnets were flush with the front of the model.
• Pressed two magnets into the magnet pocket in "Arm.stl" matching the polarity of the base magnets.
• Secured the arm assembly to the base assembly using "Axle.stl", making certain the arm rotated smoothly.
• Secured the mechanism and battery case to the marble slab using double sided tape.
With assembly complete, I placed the model on a flat and level surfaced, placed the nylon ball bearing in the funnel, turned on the battery switch, and off the marble flew!
And that is how I 3D printed and assembled "Marblevator, Marble Launch Mechanism".
I hope you enjoyed it!